The Snow Queen and the Spirit
by TheSnowQueen85
Summary: Elsa gets lost on her way to the Ice Castle, and a mysterious boy helps her find her way... in more way than one. My first fic, no hate please. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! So, this is my first try at a fanfic. I hope you guys like it. **

Chapter 1

The night after Anna's memories got erased, I couldn't sleep. I had a nightmare of Anna and I playing in the frozen ballroom, and I hit in the heart instead of the head. That she died in my arms because I couldn't control my powers. I watched her fall to the ground, dead instead of unconscious. I would always call out for my mama and papa, only to find them as ice statues in the next room. I was all alone with no idea what to do. When I tried to go outside the gates for help, they were jammed shut. If I tried to go to anyone for help, they would turn to ice at the sight of me.

I ran around the palace, not entirely sure what to do. Soon enough, I would get so scared that I would freeze into ice.

I would wake up to see my entire room iced over, right down to the handle on the door. I would hide under my blankets, trying to block it out. I couldn't call for Mama or Papa, not in the middle of the night. And I might wake Anna, who would come investigating. She couldn't see this, not my powers. I would hide, not feeling the cold. I pretended that I was normal while I could. But I didn't sleep.

The week followed with similar nightmares. But the night that they ended was truly an extraordinary one. I was having my nightmare, trying to get out of the gates.

"Help!" I yelled, like always. Fresh panic rose in me, freezing the gates over even worse. I tried to calm down, but all I could think of was Anna's dead body in the ballroom. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and whipped around to face the owner. A teenager with white hair, who looked down at me with a small smile on his face.

"Hey, calm down, it's okay." He said, trying to soothe me. But I wasn't having it.

"No it's not!" I exclaimed. "My sister is dead, everyone's frozen and I can't get out. I have to get out of here! Leave!" I yelled at the stranger, tears forming in my eyes. I went back to pulling at the locked gates. "I don't want to hurt you, too!"

"I doubt you can hurt me… What's your name?" The boy asked.

"Elsa." I sobbed. "My name…is… Elsa. Now, please just _go_!"

"What if I said I could help?" The boy asked. He offered his staff towards me, and I shook my head.

"You can't help me, I'm a monster." I argued. I rubbed my hands together, lighting up my palms with magic. "I can't calm down. I can't stop it!"

The boy backed up a step, a look of complete shock on his face. My heart pounded in my ears, and that certainly didn't help my fear. This boy probably had a family, people who loved him. I didn't want to freeze him and take him away from those people. But I couldn't stop the magic.

"You have magic?" The boy asked.

"Yes, and that's why you have to go!" I tried to argue.

"I can help you, though!" The boy said. "I'm Jack. Jack Frost."

"Jack Frost? You mean the fairy tale?" I lowered my hands. The magic went dimmed out. He nodded. It's my favorite story, because he was just like me. He had ice powers just like me. When I read the story for the first time, I was so surprised that there was someone else that had my problem. I didn't feel alone.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Fixing your nightmare." Jack said. "This is just a dream, remember that. All this ice is just a dream. Think about what you and your sister did today."

I tried to think about the day. I stayed in my room to protect Anna. She came to my door three times, asking if I wanted to build a snowman. I told her "no" every time. I repeated that to Jack, and he smiled. Then it clicked with me.

"If Anna came to my door, then she isn't dead." I realized. I smiled. I hadn't killed my sister! That means that my parents weren't frozen over, and the gates weren't locked and everything was fine! I'm fine.

"That's it." Jack said. "Everyone in your life is okay, I promise."

Those were the last words that I heard out of him before I woke up.

I sat up in my bed, finding my room frozen over but melting. I was calm. I had control over my powers, they didn't control me. For now, anyway. I looked around my room, and found myself slightly disappointed. Jack wasn't there. I guess he really was just in my dreams. But the way he spoke, the way he looked at me, made me feel like he was really there. It was just a dream.

Suddenly, the window flew open. I rushed to the other side of my room to close it, and realized that I didn't feel the winter wind. Why didn't I feel it? Huh. It felt good to only feel the warmth of the castle.

"The cold doesn't bother me, either." Jack's voice came from behind me. I whirled around to see the white-haired teenager from my dream.

"It's you." I breathed. "Jack Frost."

"Yeah." He said. "I see you've woken up."

"You calmed me down and I woke up." I reminded him. He nodded.

"I'm just gonna go then." He put his finger to his lips for a minute. "Remember, I was never here."

"You were never here." I repeated. Jack slipped out the window, and I rushed to watch him fly away. I thought that would be the last time that I ever saw the living fairy tale of Jack Frost, but I was wrong.

**A/N: So, I don't know if anyone is actually reading this, but if you are could you review so I keep posting? I'm not too sure where this is going, so you can also give suggestions! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I think this got a good response, so I'm going to continue writing it. But I'm not sure how often I'm going to update. Just a fair warning. Enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 2

One year after the whole _Freezing-My-Entire-Kingdom-Over_ incident life went back to normal. Or, as normal as it could be considering the circumstances. I held audience with the townspeople that needed to speak to me once a week, and tried my best to cater to their needs or compromise. But it was stressful. Winter was fast-approaching, and there weren't nearly as many supplies as there needed to be. The harvest had been the smallest in nearly a decade due to a week of early snow caused by yours truly. I didn't even _mean _to.

Anyway, I was exhausted.

I had to pass through the dining hall to get to my bedchambers, and Anna was sitting at the table with Kristoff. They'd just gotten engaged, and there was no separating them for anything. I felt a little weird that they got engaged after only one year, but it was better than the "one day" record. She knew him well enough, and everyone in the castle saw the difference it made in Anna. He was good for her. It was basically a given that if you saw Anna, Kristoff was standing next to her. I really didn't feel like talking tonight. I was just exhausted, and I had no idea how I was going to react to whatever they might say about wedding preparations. I didn't want to offend anyone.

Plus, I'd never felt more lonely. Anna had Kristoff, and I was really happy for her, but who did I have? People expected me – the queen – to get married before my sister, but I guess that's not happening. Maybe I'm just not meant to marry. Anna's children would take over the throne. That's probably better, anyway. Arendelle does _not _need another monarch with ice powers.

I walked right past, and Anna got up to stop me.

"Elsa! Do you want to join us?" Anna called, and I shook my head.

"Are you sure? There's already a place set." She tried.

"I might get something later, Anna. Don't worry." I said.

_As the older sister, isn't _my _job to worry about _her_?_ I wondered, and sighed. Anna was growing up. Which meant I was growing old.

I walked up to my chambers and closed the door. I fell back onto my bed, and closed my eyes in a moment of repose. There was just silence. I never thought that I'd say this after all those years of isolation, but the silence was the best thing I've heard all day.

Or, at least it was for the three seconds that I had it.

I heard knocking at my door, but not just any knocking. A knocking I knew well from my childhood. It was three small knocks in a row, and that's how I knew it was Anna.

"Elsa?" Anna called. "Are you okay? You've skipped three meals this week."

"I'm fine." I called from my bed. "Just tired."

"If you need anything, you know where I am." Anna called back, and I heard her footsteps fade away.

The truth was that I did need something, but Anna couldn't give it to me. I needed to get away from Arendelle. I had to stop being The Ice Queen (that's what some people called me in the kingdom) for a little while and remember how to be Elsa. I haven't had that luxury in a year.

_I could go to the Ice Castle_. I thought, and I smiled to myself. The Ice Castle used to be all about isolation, but I didn't see it like that anymore. Now, it looked like a haven. But I haven't seen it in a year. It might've melted.

_15 degrees is a normal temperature on the North Mountain. _I realized. It'll be fine.

I left for the mountain that next morning, casually throwing things that I might need for a few days in a bag. I stopped by the kitchens and explained that I'd need some food, but not too much. But, Cook being Cook, gave me so much food I could barely fit it. Let's just say I could survive for _months _in that mountain.

I knocked on Anna's door early so I could say goodbye. She opened the door, and looked at me in shock.

"What are you doing? It's early. Go back to sleep." Anna said, and started to shut the door.

"Actually, I'm leaving for the Ice Castle. Just a few days to myself. I won't be gone long, I promise." I explained. Anna nodded, but she looked a bit surprised. I expected her to be surprised, though.

"Why are you leaving so early?" She asked.

"Arendelle might not appreciate the sight of their queen sneaking off to the mountains. Might make them think of last year, if you know what I mean." I said. "There isn't supposed to be anything too pressing, but send a messenger if you need me. For anything."

"I won't need you, Elsa. Everything will be fine. Have fun!" Anna said cheerfully and quietly closed the door.

_Okay. _I thought. _Let's go back to the Ice Castle_.

I slipped out of the castle and through the gates. Since they were open, now, it didn't require too many guards. I walked silently through the village, trying not to wake anyone who was still trying to sleep. None of the villagers stirred, and that was a relief. I went up the mountain, remembering about half of how to get there. The only way I had gotten there in the first place was because I was running in a random pattern. I wasn't even looking where I was going the first time because I was too busy crying. This should be interesting.

After wandering around lost for about two hours, I started to panic a bit. I was so high up in the mountains that I couldn't see Arendelle anymore. I had no idea where I was, that was for sure. What if I died out here? I would never see Anna again. The wind picked up around me, shifting the snow.

"No." I whispered. "Not now."

Apparently, my powers didn't agree. It just kicked up more snow. The snow around me froze into ice, and a blizzard started to form.

I started to run blindly, my heart beating in my ears. I had no idea where I was going, but that didn't matter. I had to get back to a place where I could at least see my home. The small blizzard turned into a whiteout, leaving me almost blind. I couldn't see three feet in front of me. I slid on an ice patch of my own creation, and hit the back of my head. How was I going to get out of this? There had to be someone around on this mountain somewhere.

"Help!" I called. "Please, someone help me!"

I looked up through the white, and officially realized that I was probably hallucinating. Because there was a shadow, shaped like a boy holding a cane, descending through the clouds.

And that's when I blacked out.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! (sorry, I LOVE cliffhangers.) **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this is so late, but I had a family thing. I'm glad you guys like this fic, so here's the next chapter! **

Chapter 3

I woke up to what some might call a fairy tale. A boy about my age, leaning over me. You know what _I _call that? Creepy. Really creepy. I mean, he wasn't going to _kiss _me or anything. He was probably just checking out my injuries. And speaking of injuries, my head hurt like nothing else. I'm surprised that it wasn't something worse. I've heard of time when kids fell on ice and couldn't remember things. Just the thought of losing your memories, if only for a short time, terrified me.

_I'm Queen Elsa of Arendelle, I have powers over ice and snow. I live in a castle with a little sister, Anna, who is engaged to Kristoff. There's Olaf, the snowman I animated. I'm lost. I started a snowstorm from panic, and slipped on ice. _

Okay, I was fine.

"Man, I hope she's not hurt." I heard him mutter. His blue eyes were full of worry, and his white hair was slightly tousled, like he ran his hand through it often.

"Huh?" I asked. Why was he talking like I couldn't hear him?

"You can hear me? And see me?" He asked, shocked. What did he mean, could I see him?

"Of course I can see you." I responded. Was he crazy?

"In that case, you okay?" The boy asked. "You were out cold for a while."

"Yes, I am fine. How long was I asleep?" I asked, feeling the back of my head. There was a tender bump where I had hit it. I looked at my arms to see that they were red from being hit by the snow at high speed. God, I had snowburn. I just made up snowburn.

"About three hours." The boy said. "Freak snowstorm, right?"

"Yes." I tried to get up, but my head was spinning. The boy stood up and offered me his hand.

"Thank you. What is your name?" I took his hand and asked.

"Um… My name is Jack. Jack Frost." He said, with this huge grin on his face. "What's yours?"

"Elsa. Queen Elsa of Arendelle." I said, and he bowed his head just a bit.

"Well, _your majesty_, you're kind of far away from Arendelle." Jack informed me.

"Isn't it just back down the mountain? That way?" I pointed behind me just a little bit to the left. I might not be able to see it, but I'm pretty sure I know where my kingdom is.

"More like _that _way." Jack pointed to the west. I groaned.

"_Please _tell me I'm not climbing the East Mountain." I looked around in dismay. I must've walked the wrong way in the dark. I couldn't exactly go back to just leave again. The whole point of leaving under the cover of darkness was to not attract attention. Coming back in broad daylight would defeat the whole purpose.

"Well, if that's what you call it." Jack said dismissively. "Where were you trying to go?"

"The Ic– North Mountain." I changed it at the last second. I'm so used to everyone knowing about my powers that I've stopped being careful. "I have to be there by tonight."

"How are you gonna do that?" Jack asked, leaning on his cane.

"I have no idea. I can't exactly _fly_!" I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. I climbed this mountain for nothing! I could feel the snow start to come down with my hands, and I instantly calmed myself. Jack should know some shortcut to the North Mountain. "You live on this mountain, right? Is there somewhere where I can cut over?"

Jack shrugged.

"I don't live here. I'm just travelling." He said.

_Fat lot of good you are_. I thought, and started walking down the mountain in defeat.

"But you know what?" He called. "I just _might _be able to fly."

I turned around to face him.

"You can fly?" I asked incredulously, taking a step closer. I would've said that flying was impossible, but so were my ice powers. Wouldn't want to be a hypocrite, now would we? Jack's face had a mischievous smirk that I'd seen somewhere else before. I couldn't remember where from, but I just _know _I'd seen that face before.

"Yep." He said, and scooped me up in his arms, bridal style. "Next stop, North Mountain."

He rose into the air, and I laughed in delight. The wind was swirling around us, but it wasn't anything like when my storms were conjured. This wind was helpful, kind, and willing to lift us up.

"We're flying!" I exclaimed. "Wow."

"Told you." Jack exclaimed over the sound of rushing wind in my ears. "Anywhere specific on the North Mountain?"

"I'll know it when I see it, trust me." I peered at the ground, looking for my Ice Castle. We were so high that I could barely see anything. We flew towards the North Mountain, and I saw a glint in the miles of white.

"There!" I pointed, and suddenly tumbled out of Jack's arms. "AH!"

_No! Nonononononononono! _I thought, trying to think of some way that would not have me end up as a stain on the mountain. Seconds felt like hours, and I seemed to fall in slow motion. It was useless. I was going to die, I just knew it. I thought about Mama and Papa, how they used to try to help me with controlling my powers, training me on how to rule Arendelle once I became of age. All that was useless now. They should've been training Anna. Anna, kind, sweet Anna. Anna, who I only wanted to protect. Anna, who would've never gone flying with a boy she just met and knew nothing about except that his face looked familiar. If I was going to have a last thought, it was going to be of my dear little si–

Jack's arms caught me and pulled my back up into the air. I hadn't even realized how heavily I was breathing until I could actually hear it. I was alive. I was safe. I put my head on Jack's shoulder and immediately realized what I was doing. I pulled away quickly.

_Relief_. I convinced myself. _I just did that out of relief. _

"Right down there, please." I said. We landed and Jack set me down next to the Ice Castle.

"Wait. Wait a minute. You're not saying that this place –" Jack started.

"Is mine? Yes, that is what I'm saying." I cut him off, shooting a proud look at my grandest creation.

"Do you have magic?" He asked, and I nodded. He could fly, which was a pretty obvious sign that he had magic as well. No point in hiding my powers now.

"Ice and snow." I admitted and opened my palm. I thought of the joy that I felt before I hurt Anna, when we would go into the ballroom and make a snowman in August. I smiled in the memory of the time when Anna and I were children.

"Like me." Jack said, and mimicked my snowflake. "Just like me."

**A/N: So, I hope I got both the characters right. Thanks for reading! Review, please! **


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! This is a shorter chapter, but I like it. I hope you guys, do too. **

Chapter 4

I was looking at Jack, and I had a sort of revelation. I remembered where I knew him from. I one of the days after I had hurt Anna. I was having a nightmare, and he helped me. He calmed me down enough to see rationally. He made me remember that Anna was alive. It was the first night that week that I hadn't woken up terrified that I'd killed everyone I loved. It was a much needed relief. Things got so much better after that.

"Wait. I've met you before." I started, and explained the story. He nodded in remembrance.

"You were the first princess whose nightmare I'd fought." Jack said. "I mean, I'd fought plenty of nightmares before, but you were the first _princess_."

"I can't believe it." I said. "I thought for such a long time that you were just a figment of my imagination. That I'd just read your fairy tale too many times that night."

"Fairy tale?" Jack inquired.

Oh, no. I was babbling. It was a fairly recent development, probably from much more exposure to Anna.

"Yes, you have a fairy tale all about you." I told him. I started to blush, so I looked down. "I read it all the time as a child."

"Are you blushing, your Highness?" Jack smirked, and I shook my head and lifted my head just a bit.

"It's cold out here. The wind is making my cheeks like this." I defended myself, only to have Jack roll his eyes. He probably knew that they cold didn't bother me, so that made me look pretty stupid.

"Whatever you say." Jack said, and I made the blush fade away.

"Thank you for taking me here." I changed the subject, trying to get him to forget that I blushed over him. He probably never would, though. Just my luck.

"You're welcome." He said, and started to fly away again. Disappointment filled me for a second before I pushed it down. I just thought that he was going to stay a bit longer. I mean, I was meeting a character from a book, that was pretty exciting. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

"Where are you going?" I asked. I hadn't seen much – or any – of the world while I was locked up in my room, and the fact that he could just pick up and go intrigued me.

"Probably somewhere in the Americas. The northeast hasn't had a decent blizzard in a while. Possibly Canada." Jack said. I smiled. What I wouldn't give to see those strange foreign lands. I had learned where they were, of course, but I knew almost nothing about them. I don't know much of the cultures of countries that we didn't trade with. I'd seen pictures of all sorts of those places. But I bet nothing beats actually being there. I was about to ask him to take me with him, but I stopped myself. Who knew how long that would take? I had to be here in case something happened.

"Will you come back?" I asked instead. It was nice to have Jack around. Someone else who actually knew what it was like to have this ability. And you could say that I've known him all her life, if you counted obsessing over his fairy tale for most of my childhood. Actually, please _don't _count that.

"Sure." He smiled. "I'll be back around tomorrow. Just look out for the royal gardens."

"You wouldn't." I mock-threatened. But I knew that he would.

"If that fairy tale is even remotely accurate, you know I would." He retorted and flew away. I'm not sure how long his fading form, but all I know was that eventually lost sight of him.

**A/N: This chapter was way too fun to write, even if it was shorter. Plus, it's just snowed by me, so I'm guessing that if you live in America, you're snow-covered and freezing like I am. Stay warm! Review, please! **


	5. Chapter 5

**I know this is late, but I had a whole ton of homework, and a play rehearsal. So, two mental breakdowns later, I find myself here. If you want a full description of my woes, they are at the bottom. I hope you like the chapter! **

Chapter 5

One thing I hadn't really counted on was boredom. I thought that I would find something to do faster. I tried to practice with my powers by making ice sculptures and furniture, entire rooms. I even replaced the chandelier that was broken I was attacked. But that's when I realized how empty my Ice Castle was. I'm pretty sure the only way I stayed here a year ago was because I was so upset about freezing Arendelle.

I went out to the balcony to look at the view. It was a good thing I picked here to build my castle. I looked down, and saw my snow creature dutifully guarding me. I chuckled as I remembered the conversation I had with Anna about why she called him Marshmallow. Now that I'm really looking at him again, it's kind of hilarious.

I stood out on the balcony for so long, just out of not having anything else to do. I watched the sun set over the mountain, reminded of the first time I came here. I was so different then. I had no control over my powers, I couldn't help myself. I was just so angry and scared. Things are so much better now.

When the sun no longer glowed in the sky, I stared up at the stars.

_What are you doing? _I asked myself. _You could be doing anything, and you're looking at stars? _

I always liked stars as a kid, but never enough to stand there and watch them for hours. Why was I still out here? I could already hear Anna's voice in my head.

_Are you waiting for… _someone_? _Her voice asked me. I rolled my eyes. Of course not. Who would I be waiting for? I came here to relax and just do whatever I wanted.

_Maybe, you know, Jack? _Anna's voice suggested. If she was really there, I would've shot her the cold look that I've perfected. I was _not _waiting for Jack that was for sure. Besides, he said he'd be back tomorrow. I could wait for twenty four hours. Typical Anna.

I stayed out there even longer, watching the stars. Something about them looked so much more different here. I could properly see them now. When I was younger, I saw them from behind frosted glass, and they all blurred together. Now, I could see that they were brighter than I ever thought. I even started to see some of the constellations that I had learned about from star maps with the royal astrologists. I was captivated.

I went back inside late, and my legs were tired from standing for somewhere around four hours. Too tired to make a proper bed for myself, I made a couch out of ice. Yes, I'd never slept on a couch, so this should be interesting. I had another idea, a brilliant one if I do say so myself. I raised my hands towards the ceiling, and magic flew out. It ended up making it snow like a blizzard. There was a method to my madness, though. If I had enough snow, then I could make cushions and a pillow. Even a blanket.

After doing all that magic, I was completely depleted. Magic takes a lot of energy to control. I fell back on the couch, exhausted. I fluffed my snow pillow and pulled the blanket over myself. I thought about the insanity that was today, and fell asleep.

In my dream, I was running. But I was also being pulled by the hand. I struggled to keep up with whoever was pulling me, and I couldn't see their face. The only thing I could see of them was their blue hoodie. I didn't even know what I was running from. Man, I hated these kind of dreams, where everyone else knew what was going except for you.

I turned around to see what I was running from. What I saw filled me with fear. There was a storm of black sand that was following us. What exactly was it? It was just a sandstorm. I didn't know much about them, but I knew that as long as you had something to breathe through, you'd be fine. I released whoever's hand was pulling me, and stopped running. I put my cloak up to my nose and mouth. I was dimly aware that I wasn't wearing my ice dress, but a dress from my closet in Arendelle, with my purple cloak, so it helped more than my ice cloak would.

The sand overtook me and it blotted out the sun. Sand filled my lungs and nostrils, regardless of the cloak. I started coughing and gagging on it, and tried to find my way back out. This was a _really _bad idea, and I knew that now. My stumbling lead to me running head on into a horse. When it hit me, it reshaped, forming my worst nightmare. Anna was hurt, that much I could tell. She was limping and barely breathing.

"Anna." I whispered, dropping the cloak. The sand got in my eyes and made them sting.

In the sand, I saw Kristoff trying to stop her from going anywhere.

"You're not going anywhere." He tried to persuade her, but she weakly shook her head.

"Elsa's still out there. I haven't seen her in a week. I'm going after her, no matter what." Anna said, and I looked at the image in shock. Damn it. Damn Anna's stubbornness. Anna walked out the door and slammed it behind her. She made it ten feet before she started sputtering and coughing. My little sister fell to the ground, unable to continue. She had trouble breathing, and finally she stopped breathing completely. She'd died. Going out to look for me.

"No!" I yelled. Sand filled my mouth. "She's alive."

"Not for much longer." Someone said behind me. I whirled to face a black figure. He was shadowed in the black sand "You either unless you stay away."

"What do you mean? What are you?" I asked, struggling not to cough. The man me feel terror deep down to my core. No one has ever been able to do that before.

"Your worst nightmare." The man replied. Suddenly my hand was grabbed again and I was running.

"What were you doing?!" The person in the hoodie asked. I recognized it immediately as Jack's voice. But he sounded angry, and that gave me pause. I'd never heard him angry, and it was almost… scary.

"I thought it was a sandstorm. I thought I could wait it out." I explained, coughing from all the sand in my mouth and nose.

"That's no sandstorm." Jack said, menace in his voice. "That's–"

**A/N: Do you hate me yet? I hate myself. Anyway, chapters might be up later for the week, because I have school. Midterms are just starting, so I'm really stressed out. Know the feeling? Yep. Four review packets, five pages thick each. Plus, I have to highlight my lines for the play so I'm not caught without it again tomorrow. And all my teachers were obviously just as tired as the students, but did that stop them from putting up homework literally five minutes before they're not allowed to? No, of course not. So, I've been tired and stressed all day. If anyone read this, thanks. Have a good night! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: HI! I'm about to go do something really quick, so here. Have some Jelsa! (I like this chapter, btw) Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

The next day, I woke up confused. What was I doing in my ice castle? But then I remembered everything. Including the lift I got from Jack Frost. Falling. Thinking I was dead. Not being dead. I really liked that last part, not being dead is the best thing that could happen to me. I remember all the magic I did to make that ice furniture, but I remembered falling asleep on an ice couch. Now, I was in an ice bed that was almost identical to my one at home. What? Did I make this in my sleep or something? Could I even do that? I doubted it.

I pushed the snow blanket off of me. Okay, I remember making that and the pillow. But where was the _couch_?

I slipped out of the bed and walked down the hall to the main parlor, where I remember making the couch and falling asleep. The bed was in my bedroom, so it took a few minutes to get there. But when I _did_, you can guess who was sitting on the couch that I made for a bed.

Jack.

"You're back!" I exclaimed, I exclaimed, just a bit too much excitement in my voice. I coughed, taking time to compose myself. I started my next bit of dialogue in a much calmer voice. "But – uh, how did I get from here to my room? I fell asleep on the couch."

"Look at it this way, Elsa. If a normal couch is uncomfortable, there's no way an _ice _couch can be any better." Jack said, and I nodded.

"But you made that bed for me?" I asked, sort of in shock. I mean, the gesture was appreciated, but completely unnecessary. He could've woken me up, or let me stay on the couch. He didn't have to go through the trouble.

"Well, yeah." He said. I looked away, really not sure what to think. I mean, what would _you_ think? I had to change the topic, so I mentioned something that had been on my mind since I met him yesterday.

"Can you help me? With my powers, I mean." I asked, and shifted uncomfortably. This was wrong. I never really asked for help from a stranger. I mean, in general, I've had very little help as a child, and queens just _don't _ask for help often. We're supposed to try to figure things out on our own.

"Looks you have them pretty under control if you managed to build this." Jack pointed out, but I shrugged. They weren't _that _refined.

"Yes, but I still lose the control when I panic or get angry. What if get upset and – I don't know – _impale _someone." The thought of me hurting someone with my powers made my stomach tie itself in knots.

"Good point." He said. "I'm guessing you panicked on the mountain yesterday?"

I nodded. Had I been that obvious? In all honesty, probably. It's good I was on an uninhabited part of the mountain.

"I just got lost." I said. "And you see what that did." I touched the bump where I hit my head involuntarily.

"Yeah. That was pretty bad. I'll help you." Jack said. "Starting now."

"Wait. What? Now?" I asked. I thought I would have to get ready and make sure I could control it around him. What if I hurt Jack? There's no way that could be good. Mother Nature would probably hunt me down or something like that.

"No time like the present." Jack leapt up from the couch and grabbed my hand. He pulled me down the staircase, right past Marshmallow – who looked pretty surprised that someone else was in the castle – and to the hill where I originally started trying to hone my power. It was major déjà vu just to be standing on the hill.

"Okay, so what do you want to learn to do?" Jack asked.

"I need to control my powers, I just told you that." I reminded him.

"Yeah, but it needs to be more specific than that." Jack pointed out. "Control when you're angry? Frustrated? What?"

So, basically, what was more prone to set off my powers?

"Probably… when I'm upset." I said. "That kind of set off an eternal winter for a few days."

"Wait. Eternalas in _never_-ending, for a few days?" Jack asked, and his eyebrows drew together in surprise.

"Well, it was going to be eternal, but I thawed my sister's heart and it ended." I tried to explain. Jack didn't look any less confused, and I gave up. "I'll explain it all later."

"Okay." Jack said. "Think about the things that make you upset or something that made you upset before. Probably start with the past."

I thought back throughout my life. The biggest thing being my parents' deaths. I thought about all the times that I wasn't able to do anything to properly say goodbye. I couldn't go to the funeral, I couldn't leave my room. I couldn't talk to Anna all the times she came to my door asking what to do. It made me want to cry. I thought of the night of my coronation, when I accidently revealed my powers. All of those people, staring at me. Anna telling me that she couldn't live in isolation. I didn't even mean to tell her to leave, it just came out of my mouth.

"Hey." Jack's voice pulled me out of my memories. I looked around, tears in my eyes, only to see that I'd created a layer of ice at least an inch thick. I didn't even mean to do that. Oh, God.

_Calm down. _I told myself. _You didn't hurt anyone. It was just snow. _

I took a deep breath, and looked up at Jack. He looked at me in awe, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

"You did that just by thinking about something that made you upset in the past?" Jack asked, and I nodded.

"That is… _incredible_." He commented.

"It's impossible to control." I pointed out. "How is this supposed to help?"

"I just needed to see what would happen." Jack said. "Now, do you know how to make it disappear?"

I waved my hand and the unnecessary ice vanished, just like it always did. I had learned that trick shortly after I thawed Anna. I figured that acts of true love were pretty rare, and I didn't even want to think about freezing my sister again. The vanishing act had been pretty useful over the past year, but if I could control it in the first place, I wouldn't need to clean it up.

"What do I do to make sure nothing happens if I get upset?" I inquired.

"You have to counter each negative thought with an equally positive one. It will cancel out the excess emotion, but still allow you to feel. What caused the 'eternal' winter?" He prompted, and I sighed.

"My sister wanted to get married." I said, thinking of Hans. "I mean, she knew him for a couple of hours! How could she be so stu-"

I felt my hands light up with magic. I took a deep breath and tried to think of something that was just as positive as Anna's stupidity was negative. I thought of her engagement to Kristoff, how happy it made her. And I could tell that he only wanted what was best for her, unlike the former suitor. I thought of when Kristoff asked Anna to marry him.

A small smile played at my lips, and I felt the magic leave my palms. I looked around, and saw no ice or snow or blizzards. I controlled the magic! I was so happy I could jump and down like a little kid again. I cracked the code. After all these years, I finally figured it out. I now saw my parents' errors in how they handled the situation. They encouraged me not to feel, and that only made me feel worse. My isolation didn't exactly make happy memories for me to counter the negative thoughts.

I guess the biggest problem was that I didn't have the proper teacher.

I beamed at Jack, completely overwhelmed by happiness.

"I did it." I said. And maybe – just maybe – I could learn complete control of my powers. Thanks to Jack.

**A/N: Do you guys like what I did with Elsa's powers and made them countered by emotions that are contradictory to what she's feeling? I mean, I don't know if it really works like that, but I like the idea that it does. Review if you agree or disagree or have suggestions or whatever! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is sort of a long chapter, but it gets really cute and fluffy! Enjoy! **

Chapter 7

After my little victory, I kept it at for a few more hours. I learned how to control it when I was angry, sad, and frustrated. I felt pretty accomplished, and that was a feeling I was going to cling to for as long as possible. As a queen, I had everything done for me, even things I could do myself. And, if just once, I did something that no one else could do for me. It felt amazing.

I didn't even realize how much time had passed until I looked at the sky and saw the sun far in the west, turning the sky all sorts of beautiful colors. There were brilliant reds and oranges that streaked across the horizon, turning to more subtle pinks and yellows. In the west, the first stars could be seen, blinking like they were just waking up from their slumber.

Anna always made Kristoff watch the sunset with her.

I wondered for a brief second about my sister. Was she okay? How was the wedding planning going? I really hoped that nothing had happened in the total two days I'd been gone. She would've sent someone right? But sometimes she was just so stubborn that she would've tried to figure it out herself. That could be completely catastrophic. I suddenly felt the need to rush right back down the mountain, to see that my kingdom wasn't in shambles.

"Snowflake!" I heard Jack shout. I was apparently so lost in my thoughts that I'd zoned out for a second.

"Did you just call me 'Snowflake'?" I asked, struggling not to laugh. I'd heard a lot of names for me that weren't my name, but I'd never heard "Snowflake". That was a new one.

"Well, nothing else was getting your attention." Jack shrugged. "Thought you might want to know that the lesson's over."

"Really?" I asked. It didn't feel like that long of a lesson. But then again, the sun was setting.

"Yeah. And I believe you owe me a story." Jack said. I knew he was talking about the comment about the eternal, two-day winter. It was just so weird meeting someone who didn't know about it. The entire kingdom froze over, so there was no need to tell them. This would be the first time I'd be telling the story.

"Can we go inside? It's a long story, and you might want to sit down for most of it." I suggested.

"I've seen a lot, trust me." Jack said. "Not much surprises me anymore."

"This will." I said as we walked towards the stairs. Marshmallow stirred, but seeing that it was just me, he settled back into his original position.

"And just what is that?" Jack asked, gesturing to Marshmallow.

"Part of the story." I said, and Jack just looked back and forth between Marshmallow and I. I smirked. He said not much surprised him, and within three seconds I'd confused him so badly he was speechless.

We reached the top of the stairs, and walked into the entryway. I looked up warily at the chandelier, thinking about the last time I'd had a chandelier in this castle. It shattered and nearly killed me.

_Better safe than sorry. _I said and sorrowfully made the chandelier disintegrate.

"So, this story starts a really long time ago." I started, my voice echoing through the empty halls. "When Anna and I were really young, 5 and 8, I used to use my powers to make a blizzard in the ballroom sometimes. We'd always build a snowman, and play for hours. It was her favorite thing to do. And at one point, she'd jump and I'd have to make snow towers so she didn't fall. I slipped, and my magic hit her in the head. She went ice cold, Jack. I thought I'd killed my own sister." I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I continued. I told him all about my coronation disaster and that Anna's unprecedented engagement set me off. How the Ice Castle that we were standing in came to be. What I did to Anna here in a moment of fear, and she froze to ice. The act of true love that thawed her.

"…And everything else thawed once I figured that out. In a couple of days, it was like nothing ever happened. For me, the most confusing thing was that no absolutely hated me. I thought they'd be chanting for my head. All my life, I considered myself a monster because of my powers, but the people didn't think like that. They accept me now." I finished.

"Your parents had you locked away for your _entire_ life." Jack reiterated. It was something he just couldn't get over when I told him the first time. "That's a bit counterproductive to happy memories."

"Yeah, I know. But they only did it to protect Anna. And the kingdom." I defended.

"What about you? Their first daughter? Did locking you away protect you?" He questioned. I shrugged, not wanting to outright say "no". But they didn't protect me. They just made me emotionally unstable and socially isolated. I missed having a ball for my sixteenth birthday, I never had any friends.

"They were protecting everyone else. And I'm okay with that." I said, more trying to convince myself at this point. "It's not like I had much of a choice."

"Yes, you did!" Jack protested. I shook my head. I've been having the same argument with myself since I was crowned. Even though it was kind of nice to hear it coming out of someone else's mouth, I didn't exactly appreciate it. I had to change the subject, quickly.

"Enough about me. Tell me about you. I'm sure there's something that the fairy tale messed up." I prompted. "Did you freeze a poor little girl, or not?"

"Freeze a little girl?" Jack asked, starting to go into a state of shock. "Is that what it says? I need physical proof of that!"

"Sorry, I didn't bring the book." I said. "It's back in the palace."

"Froze a kid…" He muttered. "It says I froze a kid!" Jack looked up at me, before asking: "Why would you read that?"

"Really?" I asked incredulously before gesturing to the palace that we were standing in. Was he really that blind?

"Okay, besides the fact you have ice powers." Jack said, and I rolled my eyes. If it takes that much to spark a connection in his brain, he must be hard to have a conversation with.

"Do I need another reason? I like reading." I tried. "Didn't have much else to do."

"I never froze a girl, I protect kids." Jack defended himself. "I can't believe that was just accepted as fact!"

"Well, it's a fairy tale, I don't think you'll have many problems with it." I said. Then, a memory from the day before stirred. "If you go flying, don't people see you and panic? I mean, if I saw someone _flying_, I'd think they were some kind of –" I struggled with the last word. "Sorcerer."

I didn't want to say that, but I couldn't think of another word. I'd been called a sorceress, and I remember how much it hurt. I didn't want to hurt Jack like that. I mean, he had a children's story where he killed a little girl, but still.

"People can't see me. Normally." He said, and I looked at him strangely. How can people not see him? He's right in front of me. Right? I walked over and poked Jack really hard in the arm. He recoiled, and shot me a death look.

"What was that for?" He demanded.

"Just checking that you're not an imaginary friend." I admitted. I clapped my hand over my mouth. I did _not _want to say that. In fact, that was the very last thing I had wanted to say. Why did I say that? "I mean, um…What were you saying?"

"Anyway, people can only see if they believe in me. There's not that many people who do." He explained.

"No one can see you?" I said, biting my lip. It didn't sound like such a bad deal to me. No one to judge you. No one to come bother you when they can't see that you're clearly just trying to help them.

"Kids walk right through me sometimes." Jack looked down, and look of pure sadness on his face. I didn't think about that.

"But I can see you." I pointed out. "That's what matters."

I saw a small smile on his face. But I had to do something else. I had an idea, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I took some of the fruit in the bag that Cook gave me, and the cream and milk. I smashed the fruit against the cutting board, eliciting an alarmed look from Jack.

"What are you –" He started.

"Doing?" I finished, then muttered to myself. "Hopefully something smart."

I mixed the smashed strawberries in with the milk and cream, and dumped my strange concoction into a bowl. To be honest, it didn't look all that appetizing, with its lumps of strawberries sticking out from the liquid. I used my powers to freeze it, and it looked much better.

"I made something!" I exclaimed, and showed the bowl to Jack, smiling triumphantly.

"Um… What _is _it?" He asked, eyeing the creation warily.

"Well… Maybe…" I couldn't come up with a name for it. "Iced Cream?"

"Ice cream?" Jack started to double over laughing. "You made ice cream?"

"Yeah, Ice Boy." I retorted. "Got a problem with it?"

"No… but now I have finally found… the answer… to a very important question." Jack said between spurts of laughter.

"So, how do we eat it?" I asked. Jack laughed even harder.

**A/N: See? I took one of your suggestions, and put it in. Do you like it? I love it. Review! (I'll post when I get ten more reviews!) **


	8. Chapter 8

**Long time no see! I've got the next couple chapters all typed, but they need to be edited and stuff. Plus, don't expect any updates tomorrow or Saturday night. I'll be away from my computer so it can get repaired for me accidentally dropping it down the stairs and spilling water on it... Yeah, I'm a klutz, I know. Here's the chapter!**

Chapter 8

We finished off the ice cream, and I still couldn't believe that I actually made it myself. For some reason, Jack found it hilarious, but he wouldn't tell me why. Just that it would make sense, but it would take a long time. I sighed and let the topic die. We stayed up for hours, just talking. Mostly about me.

We had already talked about the accident, so Jack asked more about my awkward teenage years. _Definitely _memories I want to dig up.

"I spent most of the time just… reading. Learning what I could from my room." I said, thinking of all the hours I'd spent pouring over textbooks of different academic subjects. "I never had a tutor, just because my father thought one wasn't necessary. 'Elsa is a smart girl'" I tried to imitate my father's deep voice, the ones that ruled a country. "'She can teach classes of children her age, she can also teach herself.'"

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Jack said.

"Yeah, me too." I said. "It was ridiculous. But then again, I was the coregent first, his daughter second. And a kingdom that fears its ruler too much rebels."

"Is that what you picked up from History books?" Jack inquired, and I nodded.

"It's true, though." I pointed out.

"What about… people? Did you _ever _see anyone?" Jack asked, and I shrugged.

"Anna came by my room every day, or almost, but I never opened the door. It got worse when my parents died." I admitted. "They were in a shipwreck, and I almost lost my mind. I just wanted time itself to stop. I wanted the world to stop turning, I wanted the sun to stop shining. Because a world without my parents didn't deserve to turn, and a sun that wasn't shining on my parents seemed worthless to me. I was eighteen, I was three years away from being crowned, and I needed them." I started to tear up, but I didn't want to cry. The shedding of tears stopped a long time ago. "You may not know this, but as a prince or princess gets closer and closer to being crowned, things get a thousand times harder. People expect so much from you, also to prove yourself. They need to know your ruling style. You have to tread carefully. And since my parents were dead, I lost control of my powers so many times. I needed someone who understood what it was like to lose them. So, basically, Anna was the only choice. But I couldn't let her in and see my powers, or risk hurting her. I was all alone." I struggled not to sob when I said I needed Anna. Because that was the hardest part. Being alone through it.

"But that's over now." Jack reminded me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, it is." I said, regaining what little composure I had before this exchange. I was a queen, after all. I have no idea what's gotten into me. No crying, no tears. I had a reputation.

Jack's face took on a determined look, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by a blank expression, like he was trying to hide… whatever his thoughts were. What would he be thinking about that he wouldn't like me to know? I tried not to think of the obvious option. I opened my mouth to ask and then shut it again. He beat me to it, though.

"You said that you were all alone when your parents died." He said, and I nodded. "What if there was a way that you weren't?"

My eyebrows shot up. I mean, I would have loved to have someone there, but that wasn't possible. It was done, finished.

"That's impossible." Elsa said.

"Impossible things happen every day." Jack said. "Like a blizzard in the middle of July."

"That is completely different." I defended myself. "I was living through that. You cannot change the past."

"Can't I?" He challenged. Being an older sibling, I immediately take any challenge thrown at me. Also, being a queen and told that I am superior probably doesn't help the situation.

"No, you can't!" I exclaimed. He smiled, like he had a secret. If I was following where this conversation was going, then it wouldn't be a secret for any longer.

"You see, your Highness, in addition to my ice powers, I can go back in time." He mentioned smugly. I looked at him in shock for a minute. Was that possible? Didn't seem like it. You can only live in the current moment.

"But…" I trailed off, trying to form a sensible argument. But how can you make a sensible argument when you are arguing against nonsense?

_Or maybe I'm just out of practice. _I realized. _I never really did any fighting with Anna_.

"I think I win this round." Jack announced. I turned away and stifled a yawn, not realizing just how late it was. We'd stayed up talking for what seemed like forever, and I was starting to fade. My high from inventing ice cream was lowering me back down to earth.

But I wanted to stay up and see if Jack could _really _go back in time. It just seemed so exotic to me that I didn't want to fall asleep and miss what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. I realized how unrealistic my desire seemed, though, as I felt myself falling asleep on my feet. My eyelids drooped shut at the table multiple times within the next half hour as Jack explained how his travel in time worked. I didn't really follow it as well as I would have hoped.

"Are you tired, Your Majesty?" He joked. I nodded, shutting my eyes.

"Just a bit." I said, my speech slurred with slight exhaustion. "I'll just go up to bed."

I walked out of the kitchen, trying to wake myself up in some way. I tried lightly slapping myself, pinching myself, even tugging on my hair, all to no avail. I looked out one of the huge windows in the foyer, and saw that the moon was three quarters of the way across the sky. So, late.

I approached the grand staircase, and was bombarded by memories. Fleeing from Anna, her saying that we could be as close as we were when we were kids. Running away from the soldiers that, a certain _someone_ that deserved a broken jaw for what he did to my little sister, sent after me. Almost becoming a monster.

I must've not been paying attention, because the next thing I knew I was falling towards the stairs, with my foot precariously sliding off the stair I was standing on. I tried to put my hands out to stop my fall, but it didn't do much good. I fell on my stomach, smashing my chin into the stair so hard my teeth rattled.

"Ow!" I cried out in alarm, and pulled myself into a sitting position. Rubbing my jaw, I heard Jack's footsteps echo through the front hall, and he appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Elsa!" He started to run up to meet me. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine." I said, testing out my jaw. It hurt to talk, but it wasn't a serious injury. "Just slipped."

"One of the problems of an ice castle." Jack supplied, and I shrugged. It's never happened before. I just sort of assumed that I was immune to slipping on ice.

Jack got on the stair above me, and offered his hand. I looked at it in shock for a second, because I hadn't seen Jack do anything like this before. He was being – or trying his best to be – a slightly more mature person. I took his hand, and stood up. I leaned heavily on him, trying my best to stay conscious. Unfortunately, I was failing miserably.

After about five minutes of trudging up the stairs, Jack said: "I think this might be easier for both us if I just carry you."

I think I mumbled something incoherent along the lines of: "Mm? Okay."

Jack swept me up into his arms, and carried me back to my room. I had never welcomed the ice bed more. I pulled the covers up over me, and closed my eyes. Panic seized me for a split-second, and I was wide awake. What if he didn't come back? What if I was left alone again?

"You're coming back, right?" I called out, knowing he'd still be there.

"Yes, Elsa." Jack said. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

I smiled and snuggled into the snow blankets until I fell asleep.

**A/N: I know, she seems totally drugged or drunk or something, but I was thinking more that it was around three or four in the morning and she used most of her energy. We've all had those days. I'm having one of those days. See you Sunday!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yeah, the ten reviews thing kind of worked... So, I know I missed yesterday, so you guys get two chapters today. That's my policy on missing days. But I hope you enjoy this next chapter! (It's probably a bit OOC, but I tried. This is more of a transition chapter, until the end)**

Chapter 9

I woke up the next morning with a mission.

I was going to hike down this mountain, I was going to walk into Arendelle, and I was going to dig through many, many, many years of books and memories to find that fairy tale book I was addicted to when I was younger. I just kept imagining the look of shock on Jack's face when he sees the version of him I grew up knowing. I think it should be an… interesting experience.

I crawled out of bed, and stumbled down the stairs. I brushed and braided my hair with my fingers as I went, as I did not have the foresight to make an ice hairbrush. How was I going to live here for the rest of my life?

I saw Jack at the bottom of the stairs, leaning on his staff. His eyebrows were furrowed together, his lips turned down. The universal look of worry.

"What's wrong?" I called from the top of the stairs, and he jumped ten feet in the air. Literally. There was a huge gust of wind that rippled through the palace, and Jack looked almost in shock.

"Make some noise when you move, Snowflake!" He exclaimed, slowly descending.

"Only if you stop calling me 'Snowflake'" I bargained. Jack smirked, and I already knew the answer.

"Never." He said, sounding fairly hollow. He didn't have the spirit to his voice that I had normally heard. I thought nothing of it. Maybe he was just tired.

"Then be prepared." I retorted. I was surprised that I actually knew all these good comebacks. I had to use this ability with Anna sometime. Isn't that what sisters do?

I went down the stairs, and thought about my plan. I just kept imagining his eyes going wide and his jaw dropping to the floor when I showed him the fairytale I tried not to laugh aloud, but I _did _start to giggle.

_Giggling? _I thought. _Since when do I giggle? _

"What's so funny?" Jack asked, but I could tell he was humoring me.

"Remember how you said you wanted to see physical proof that the fairytale says you froze a child?" I prompted, and he nodded. But the thing was, when he nodded, he didn't even look at me. He looked at something over my shoulder.

"Well, I'm going to show you the book." I said, but got no response. I continued, in hope of getting something. "I mean, it says right there in black and white what you did to that girl, and…" I trailed off, realizing that it wasn't working. I tried a last resort. "You know, 'Snowflake' is the favorite nickname anyone's ever given me."

Nothing. Nada.

I snapped my fingers in front of his face, something I'd seen Anna do with Kristoff every now and then. It worked like a charm, and he snapped to attention. He looked at me annoyed, and I could tell he was getting angry. Jack seemed distracted for some reason.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"It's just... Guardian stuff." He said. "Also, I time travelled last night."

"To where?" I asked, and started to smile. I could only imagine what he had seen. He could've gone back to the time of the cavemen, and made paintings I'd only seen in history books. Or, maybe the future, where there were things beyond the wildest imaginings.

"I – uh, saw you. After your parents died." He admitted.

"Oh." I said and looked down at my feet, not sure what else to do. So, I guess I could imagine what he saw too well.

"You couldn't see me." Jack said, and I took a deep breath.

"Well, I mean, after my parents died I stopped believing in much of anything." I clarified. "That probably didn't help." I scrambled to change the subject. "What about your 'Guardian stuff'?" I tried to deepen my voice to match his and failed miserably.

Jack shrugged.

"It's all really complicated, but I guess you have to know." He sounded more like he was convincing himself. "It's happening in _your _kingdom?"

"What?" I asked, and heard the menace in my voice. Arendelle had been through enough with being frozen over. But wouldn't I know if something was wrong with my subjects? Possibly not.

Jack stopped talking, like he backed out at the last second.

"Now you have to tell me right now." I said, feeling myself go into protective sister mode. Not only my people were at stake if something was in the kingdom, _Anna _was at stake. I would not risk losing her or Kristoff or anyone close to my sister.

"It's Pitch." Jack admitted, and I blinked in surprise. He told me all about how they fought and defeated him. Pitch wasn't supposed to be a threat anymore.

"But you told me– " I started, but Jack cut me off.

"Yeah, we thought he was done, too." Jack said. "Pitch is in Arendelle, getting stronger somehow."

"Well, how are you going to stop it?" I asked. He shrugged.

"We have to find the source of the fear first. That could take a while, considering how many people are in Arendelle. You're the expert. How many of them have problems?" He asked.

I racked my brain, searching for some incident that involved fear. A lot of people in Arendelle have fears. They're all farmers, and they're scared of losing business. I get that problem a lot with competitors. The harvest was smaller this year than usual, so that could be it. But there wasn't one incident with one person that I could isolate.

"I don't know. Everyone is scared of something." I tried. And what I said was true. I knew fear better than most people, and I knew that if you are truly _terrified_, you don't dare share it with anyone.

"If whatever is making your arch enemy stronger is in Arendelle, then we should go back. Forget the fairytale." I suggested, and Jack nodded. "We can leave now."

Jack picked me up, and shot out of the castle like a rocket. He was going even faster than I expected. The wind whipped my braid around like a lethal weapon, and my eyes were watering. But, for whatever reason, this didn't affect Jack. Or, it did, but he just didn't show it. He didn't say anything, and his face was set in a look of determination. This was even more serious than I thought.

I looked below me, and saw the houses of the people who lived in the town. They looked tinier than usual. The castle came into view, and I realized just how high we actually were. The guard towers for the gate looked miniature, like a child decided to build a model of Arendelle. The spire at the top of the tallest tower in the castle looked like a speck.

Jack went into a nosedive, and I almost had a heart attack.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, but the wind snatched away my words before they could be heard.

My window rushed at me, and I half expected it to shatter as we hit it. It flew open at the last second, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm not dead." I said in shock. I started muttering to myself, trying to comprehend my crazy life. "I'm not dead. That's good. Always good."

Jack set me down, and I almost fell over from my legs wobbling.

"That was… fast." I said, not knowing what else to say. Jack opened his mouth to respond, but I heard a knocking at my door.

_Knock, Knock, Knock-Knock, Knock_. Anna's signature knock. I had to get this.

Jack spoke up from behind me.

"I'm going to go flying around, see if I can root anything out." Jack said. "And by the way, the other Guardians are coming, so if you see a fairy, a flying sled, a guy riding around on sand, and a kangaroo, don't freak out."

"A kangaroo?" I asked. How could a _kangaroo _be a Guardian. I'm not buying it.

"Okay, well, he's a rabbit. The Easter Bunny. But he's huge, so I call him a kangaroo." Jack attempted to clarify and flew out the window. I was left just as confused as before.

I opened my door to see a very confused-looking, sniffling, tear-soaked Anna standing in the hallway. My first thought was that she had a broken heart, caused by Kristoff. She wouldn't be crying over anything else.

_When I find him, I'll freeze that evil man and his reindeer into an icicle! _I vowed, and gave Anna my attention. I looked at her with concern, and she started to sob.

"Anna, what happened?" I asked, trying to sound compassionate. She coughed, sniffled, and straightened her spine. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that the servants were staring.

"Hello, Elsa. May I come in?" My little sister asked in the most mature voice she could muster. I nodded and shut the door behind her. I hugged her tightly and walked her over to the center of the floor. That's what we used to do when we were little and shared the same room. We would sit on the floor, because that was neutral ground in our minds. Nothing changes.

"I-I'm so sorr-y." Anna chocked out between sobs. Huh? What happened while I was away?

"What do you mean? What are you sorry for?" I prompted, making my voice gentle.

"This is all m-my fault." Anna sniffled, and I shook my head. Whatever happened, I was ninety percent sure it wasn't her fault. She didn't know about any of the really risky things I took care of. I made sure never to tell her.

"What is?" I asked again, and Anna looked at me.

"It's Hans." Anna said. "He's building up an army to attack Arendelle."

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN DUN! So, cliffhangers, I know you guys love me for them! Review your favorite part of the chapter! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hi! So, this is the next chapter!**

Chapter 10

I couldn't believe it.

Hans? Going to attack with an army he built? He's twelfth in line for the crown, how did he even _get _an army? And why haven't I heard about it until now?

"That's not possible, Anna." I said, trying to convince myself more than soothe her. "We've been through this before. He can't hurt you anymore. How did he even get an army?"

"He married the princess of the Western Isles. He's been building this army up since he left Arendelle. His parents didn't do anything to punish him for trying to kill you! Two years building up an army, that's a lot of soldiers. He's already used it, too!" Anna exclaimed, almost hysterical. "The way we heard about it was because yesterday he attacked Corona!"

"Corona?" I repeated. Our aunt's kingdom. "But they must've fought them off. They have armies to spare!"

"So does Hans, apparently." Anna paused for a second to cry some more. "Our aunt and uncle are dead, Elsa. Hans's army killed them."

"The king and queen are dead?" I asked. My head started to spin. Corona had much more defenses than Arendelle could afford in six reigns, and this army got past all of them? If they didn't spare our aunt and uncle, what about their daughter? Rapunzel was one of the only cousins that we had. If she was killed, the kingdom would be lost.

"What about Rapunzel? Is she okay?" I grilled, probably harsher than I should've been. But I could relate to Rapunzel, in a way. She was different too, or _had _been at least. Her hair could heal anything, and she was locked away as well. But by an evil witch. The princess admitted this to Anna and I when we went to her wedding. It was few months after I froze Arendelle, so she felt that we understood each other. And we did.

"She and Flynn were away, they're safe." Anna said, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "At least, that's what I've heard. But if Hans didn't spare the king and queen of Corona, what makes you think _we'll _be okay?"

"Because Anna, I've got a _tiny _advantage over Hans." I said, and made it start to snow. Just a dusting, but it was enough to make Anna stop crying.

"They tried to kill me once before, remember?" I said, implying at when I accidently turned Anna to ice. "I didn't have control then. Imagine what I can do to protect us and the kingdom now."

"I know, Elsa. I'm just really, really scared." Anna admitted, and started crying into my shoulder.

_Scared. _I thought. _Fear_.

"It's you." I said, and Anna looked up at me. I didn't mean for her to hear it, but she did.

"What's me?" Anna asked, a look of panic on her face. I started kicking myself like nothing else before.

_You can't keep your mouth shut can you, Elsa? _I scolded myself. _You just had to not say it out loud. _

But now she knew, and there was no way I could take back what I said. I took a deep breath, and opened my mouth. No words came, though. How could I even begin to explain to her what had been happening to me for the past three days? That I met _Jack Frost_. Even if I _am _royalty, she'll have me committed to an insane asylum somewhere miles from here.

"It's very complicated." I started, and an idea hit me. "Wait a minute."

I walked over to my bookshelf, yanked books out of the shelves and sent them flying behind me. Where is it?! I know it's been a few years, but I also know I put it somewhere close to the front.

_Six Months in a Convent _soared past Anna's head, quickly followed by _Wuthering Heights _and _Jane Eyre_. But that fairy tale book was nowhere to be seen! Until I unearthed _Loss and Gain_, and the huge book tumbled out like a rock in a landslide.

"Yes!" I cheered and went back over to Anna.

"Why do you have so many books?" She inquired and eyed _Jane Eyre _suspiciously. "That one nearly killed me!"

"What do you think I did in the hours when we weren't building snowmen?" I asked, trying to make light of the situation. She needed to be happy and not afraid.

"Cry." Anna suggested, obviously starting a list. "Freeze things."

"Sort of." I answered, and flipped open the book. "Right here, in the middle, is the story of Jack Frost. You know that story, right?"

Anna nodded.

"When we shared a room, you'd always request it. Mom would read it over and over again to us. I usually fell asleep." Anna said, lost in another world. I didn't blame her. Sometimes, memories were better than reality.

Now came the hardest part of this conversation.

"Anna, do you trust me? If I say something crazy, will you believe me?" I asked, nervously wringing my hands. Anna nodded.

"Jack Frost is real, and I met him." I began. Anna opened her mouth and shut it, and I continued. "It all started when I went up the East mountain instead of the North mountain…"

I told her the entire story, and more than I really thought I would. I thought I would tell her only the facts of what happened, but I also told her how happy I felt after that first lesson with Jack when I controlled my powers for the first time. I told my sister how I stayed up all night talking to Jack without even trying or noticing how late it got. I told her about Pitch, and how he was getting stronger in Arendelle.

"…And I think it's your fear that he's feeding off of. I understand why you're terrified Anna, I am too now. But we need to take a deep breath and think about how we can be protected in this castle. One thing we can do is protect other people here, too. Women and children in the village can come to castle, and we'll lock the gates. Also, Jack has his friends coming in to help. They've defeated him before, they can do it again; you just have to have faith." I finished.

"You've known him for how long? Three days?" Anna spit out the words at me, now angry more than anything else. Maybe it's because I trusted Jack after not knowing Jack for long, but this is totally different from Anna and Hans. Besides, Hans turned out to be evil, I had a better feeling about Jack.

"There is no other option." I pointed out, trying to make myself into the firm queen that I had to be when people came to me with problems. I had to make a compromise. Anna nodded, her eyes still slightly red and puffy.

I sent out for the royal crier, and told him to call for all the townspeople. I didn't know if this would even work, but I had to do something. This could have extreme consequences, though. The men would do better defending themselves from Hans's army, but all the children would be in one place. They'd be sitting ducks for Pitch.

The people gathered in the courtyard where, two years ago, I had made an ice rink. There had been so much fun infecting everyone, and you could probably hear laughing from miles away. Now, it was dead silent. Everyone obviously knew about Hans's army, and they shifted uncomfortably. Some mothers held their sons and daughters close to their sides, eyes flickering around and trying to see everything.

"People of Arendelle!" I announced, surprised to hear that it came out so confident. "I am well aware of the situation with the Western Isles. The Palace is the safest place in the kingdom, and I intend to protect as many of you as possible." I took a deep breath, knowing that none of them would like to be split up from their families. "The women and children will come into the palace, but only them. We need to fit as many people as possible, and men can defend their places of residence. I apologize for this, but it is necessary. Any parent will agree with me that the children are Arendelle's future, and they need their mothers. All children and women will come with me immediately." I finished.

The people wasted no time saying goodbye. The crowd split into smaller clumps, presumably family or friends, and hugged. Some were crying, some were kissing, and some were talking. I gave them ten minutes, for parents to say goodbye to each other and their children. There is a real possibility that those not in the castle will not survive. Hans is ruthless.

After the ten minutes was up, women led their sons and daughters away from the men with hands clutched so tight that you could see the whiteness of their knuckles. The castle doors slammed shut behind us, and there was dead silence. I could see out the windows that men were going outside of the gates and back to their homes.

I felt a small tug on my cloak, and turned around expecting to find Anna and Kristoff. Instead, there was a small girl with brunette pigtails stared up at me.

"Excuse me, your Majesty." She said, and curtsied. "Will my daddy be coming in the castle soon?"

"I don't know." I said, trying to respond to her question as honestly as I could without breaking the little girl's spirit. Once one child cried, they all started crying. "What is your name?"

"Jenna." The girl answered. "And I hope my daddy comes soon."

"Jenna!" A woman – most likely Jenna's mother – exclaimed and rushed over. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Do you know how worried you made–" Jenna's mother saw me and immediately curtsied. "I'm sorry, your Highness, I mean no disrespect."

"None is taken." I said and turned back to Jenna. "Go with your mother."

"Okay. Thank you!" Jenna turned and left, with her mother's arm drawing her close. I looked at them walking away. What I wouldn't give to have my own mother to hug me and tell me everything would be okay.

**A/N: Awww *cries*! Tell me if you think I should bring back Jenna or not, because I think she's adorable, but I don't know what to do with her. If you think she should come back, give me a suggestion of what to do with her. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This is your update for the night! Enjoy! (even though I don't, but the ending is funny in my opinion. There'll be an explanation next chapter) **

Chapter 11

We sat in the ballroom for hours, as it was the biggest room in the castle. There were two main groups of people, but I saw them both because I was not a part of either of them. One group, on the right, were trying to be cheerful. They had fake smiles plastered on their faces, made small talk, and tried to block out the situation. The children even played together, hopping in and out of boxes and tagging each other. The other group, on the left, all wore grim faces. They didn't talk, they didn't play, but some cried. The left group had some children, including Jenna. I saw her point to the group of children playing tag and turn to her mother. Jenna's mother only hugged Jenna closer.

Let me tell you know that I now know the distinct difference between laughing and crying.

About six hours into our confinement, we started to hear the footsteps. Faintly at first, but within the hour they roared. As they got louder, we could also hear men yelling. The _pop_ of burning wood. The gates. Hans's army was _burning down the gates_.

"We have to get people out of here." I said to no one in particular. I really needed to stop doing that.

I flagged down Anna, who was trying to calm down a hysterical pregnant woman who was sitting down and rocking back and forth. I approached them, and heard the conversation that was transpiring.

"… And he meet me down at the docks, and asked me to marry him. What if I never see him again? What if he is lying dead in the street?" The woman asked, her voice sounding not much different than Anna's earlier.

"I doubt that. You said he was a blacksmith, does he have swords in your house?" Anna asked. The woman nodded.

"Then he can defend himself." Anna pointed out. "And from what you've told me, he sounds like a capable man. He will be fine, I promise."

I coughed, and the woman hastily bowed her head. Anna stood up, and followed me away from both the groups, into another room. They couldn't hear any of this, not until we had something figured out.

"Anna, we have to get the people out of the ballroom." I explained. "The army is burning down the gates. We don't have much time."

"Why would you tell me? Command them to leave!" Anna suggested, but I shook my head.

"I saw what you did with that woman there. No doubt you've been doing this all day. I need you to get them out of there quietly, and calmly. Hans's army could be close, and I won't risk them being loud." I said. I was never as good with people as Anna was. I was good with words, while Anna understood emotions. Unfortunately, in my case at least, people weren't made of words.

"I could take them to service tunnels." Anna said, a smile lighting up her face. The service tunnels were the tunnels that the servants used so they didn't have to use the hallways. When we still had enough servants to be using them, I mean. The tunnels fell into disuse after we dismissed three quarters of the service staff. But now they were perfect hiding places. They were empty and secret.

"Good plan." I said. "Now we just have to sell it to them."

"This should be interesting." Anna muttered.

We walked back in the door, to almost exactly the same scene that we had left. They had no idea that in a moment, we had decided that they would spend their day hiding in the dark.

_If I was in their position, would I be willing to do this? _I asked myself. Hide in the dark and hope they don't find us? It sounds like a shotty plan at best. Probably not. So, how I am going to do this? How is Anna going to do this?

I glanced at my sister, and saw the same question in her eyes.

"If I could have your attention?" Anna called, and everything stopped in the ballroom. "Thank you. We will need to leave the ballroom as soon as possible. I know you might be scared, but this for the best. We will retreat into the service tunnels that run under the castle. They have not been used for a long time, and no one knows about them. Hans's army can't invade a place that they don't know exists." Anna reasoned, and some people nodded their heads. I couldn't believe it, she was winning them over! Anna continued by saying: "We will need to move quickly, but it can be done."

Anna turned and started to walk over to the left side of the room. I had no idea what she was doing until she pushed a panel that was at eye level, and a two rows of panels opened up into the wall. I had no idea that there was one in this room. Then again, I only knew every crack and crevice of my bedroom. I needed Anna to take me exploring someday soon. Maybe Jack could come, too.

I walked over to Anna and followed her into the service tunnel. It was made of stone, and looked like a black hole. There wasn't one spot of light, and that gave me slight anxiety. I was never good with the dark.

"Anna, go ahead of me, I'll bring up the rear." I said, and Anna glanced at me with confusion written on her face. "I'll be fine, I just want to make sure that if Hans comes in before we get everyone out that they can still be okay."

"Okay." Anna said, obviously restraining herself from crying. "But make sure you find me when we're all safe."

"I will." I promised, and dropped back to the outside of the crowd.

Everything was going well until about three quarters of the group was in the tunnel. There was a system where everyone had to keep moving because the tunnels were so drastically tiny. Only one person could go in at a time, and then they'd have to stay in their spot in the line and go forward. And you couldn't back out, because there were too many people behind you. There was one child who stopped and started crying.

The little boy came to an abrupt stop, and started turning his head around, looking for a way back. Except, there were twenty or so people behind him, pushing him forward.

"Mommy!" The little boy called. He couldn't be more than four or five. "I don't wanna! I don't wanna!"

"James, what's wrong?" The boy's mother asked from ahead of him, stopping to turn around and face her son.

"It's _dark_!" James exclaimed, tears coming to his eyes.

"It's okay. It's just the dark." His mother tried to soothe him, but he backpedalled, falling over the people behind him. I had an idea to help him, something that my parents used to do when I got scared of little things. Today was going to involve me helping a lot of kids, I could tell.

I raced to help him up, and looked into his eyes.

"So, are you scared of the dark, James?" I asked, and he nodded tearfully. "It's okay to be afraid of the dark, though. Don't tell anyone, but _I'm _scared of a lot of stuff too."

"How do you do stuff that makes you scared?" James asked me, and I smiled.

"I think of my sister, Anna. Do you know Anna?" I asked, and James started to smile a gap-toothed grin at me.

"She was the nice lady with the yellow stripe in her hair!" James exclaimed, and I nodded.

"Well, I know Anna needs me, so I do scary stuff when I have to." I admitted. "And I think your mom needs you to do something that makes you scared. Will you do it for her?"

James nodded, and walked forward. He was shaking, but moving. I breathed a sigh of relief, and the line kept moving.

Ten minutes later, everyone was safely in the service tunnels. I made sure to be far behind so that I could hold them off for a little longer. If I died doing this, Arendelle _did _have Anna to take my place. I stood alone in the ballroom, listening. I could hear shouted orders and marching feet. The door burst open, splintering all over the floor across the ballroom.

I stared into the face of my family's worst enemy, enforced with what seemed like an endless sea of armed men behind him. I should've been afraid, but something that always bothered me about him – besides him being, you know, evil – resurfaced.

_ God_. I thought. _He still has those stupid sideburns!_

**A/N: Yeah, I'm not proud of that ending line, but if made you laugh, it accomplished its purpose. But there will be explanations for some things I did in this chapter. They let Elsa bring up the rear because she has some defense. I added in another kid because I love them too much, and I have a plan for James and Jenna now. Not romantic, because that's creepy, but something else that ties into the story. You'll have to keep reading to find out what it is. **


	12. Chapter 12

**SO, I'M BACK. Sorry it took so long, just a lot of stuff got in the way, and if you want to hear about them, I will post a list in the bottom of the author's note. Enjoy this long-awaited chapter!**

Chapter 12

"Hans." I said, with as much menace in my voice as I could muster. Trust me, it was a lot.

"Why, hello, _Your Majesty_." Hans replied with mock pleasantry, raising his sword. I raised my hands defensively, trying not lose control of my powers. This was when I really needed to have complete control, but I was so angry. So angry at the way he treated Anna, the way he broke her heart. Also that he tried to kill me, but it was Anna I was more mad about. I took a deep breath.

"So, why did you bring your army?" I asked, trying to buy the people in the tunnels time. "Did you think you'd be beaten by my sister again? Or me?"

"I don't fear your victory over me, Queen Elsa, or your little sister's – who, I might add, is nowhere to be found." Hans smirked, like he'd already won. "What are you against the men I have?" He gestured to the army behind him, who were all standing at attention. "These aren't even all of them. Most of them are outside, killing your subjects."

"That's enough!" I yelled, and shot a burst of magic at the floor right in front of him. The floor turned to ice, and Hans slipped and fell. The army, obviously unprepared for my powers, faltered for a half-second. They either a.) didn't remember two years ago, or b.) never heard that it was me that caused it. I could see the fear in their eyes.

I realized that they were innocent, despite being soldiers. They didn't get to choose their commanding officer, or what said officer wanted to use the army for. They only had the choice to join. I couldn't hurt them for Hans's stupidity.

"Hans, call off your army. You know they won't do anything against me, they won't weaken us. Just tell me what you want." I pleaded, trying to position my hands more towards Hans, just in case my powers "slipped".

"What do I want? Do you really have to ask?" Hans said, and I felt a shiver go down my spine. I knew exactly what he wanted.

"Revenge." I answered.

"Do you understand how humiliated I was when your kingdom shipped me back to the Southern Isles? My father almost exiled me!" Hans exclaimed, his voice echoing around the ballroom. He walked out towards me, and I bit my lip to keep from mocking him. I backed up defensively, blocking the tunnel. They'd get to Anna over my dead body. I mean, that option wasn't exactly preferable, but it would most likely happen. I flicked my eyes around the room again, trying to look everywhere but the shining blade of the sword.

"Who's scared now?" Hans asked, and I looked around for a way out that wasn't the tunnel.

I realized that there was no other way out.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps sprinting down the hall from behind the army. I glanced over the heads of the men in the army to see the familiar face of Jack, and I almost collapsed with relief. I wasn't going to be in this alone, at the very least.

"Elsa?!" He called, but no one turned around. "What's going on?!"

_This must be the non-believer thing in action_. I realized.

"Actually, you know what, Hans?" I smirked, Jack's presence giving me renewed strength. "I'm not scared. And I never was."

"Attack!" Hans cried, running headfirst at me. I shot magic at him, making ice come up from floor behind him, creating a curtain of ice and cutting him off from his soldiers. I left enough room for Jack to fly over the top, while leaving Hans army-less. My plan worked like clockwork, resulting in Jack joining me on the other side of the ice curtain.

"Just you and me, Hans." I said, almost backing up into the service tunnel. "Like old times."

"Yes, Elsa. Just like the old days." He said and raised his sword. "Except this time I'm going to finish what I started!"

Hans charged at me, sword gleaming in the light. But he didn't count on something. I wasn't going to lie down and take it. He couldn't use anyone else I loved to get to me. Not now. Not again.

I shot a burst of magic that knocked Hans's sword to the side, and another to back him up. Ice pinned him against the curtain, and I looked at him. Pathetic, defeated, yet he still had some kind of maniacal fire in his eye. It made me shudder to think about what would happen if I left him here, like this. Ice was flimsy, it melts. It would only hold him for so long. Also, if I left, he would just follow me into the service tunnels once his bondage melted away. I had to end Hans and his reign of terror, once and for all.

I walked over to his sword, picked it up, and looked in his eyes. Hans stared back at me without blinking, knowing what I was about to do. I raised the sword and pointed it at his neck. In that moment, I felt that I _could_ kill him. He endangered my people, and that made me very dangerous, indeed.

"Elsa!" Jack called from the other side of the ballroom. "What are you doing?! Put the sword down! You don't want to do this!"

"Why shouldn't I kill you?" I asked, ignoring Jack.

"You should." Hans said, an ear-to-ear grin on his face. It was like Christmas for a little kid. "I tried to take over your kingdom, your birthright, attempted to kill you, and _broke your sister's heart_. Go ahead, kill me. But know that if you do, you'll never get rid of me. I'll be in your nightmares until the day you die. Are you willing to take that risk? To see my face every time you close your eyes?"

I gave him more than he deserved in that next moment.

"Any last words?" I said, and pressed the tip of the sword underneath his chin. One movement, that's all it would take. One flick of the wrist. But I wanted to hear what he had to say. If he regretted any of it.

"_Long live the queen_." He whispered and glowered at me. I was so shocked at his audacity that I almost dropped the sword.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Jack exclaimed. "If you kill him now, you'll play right into his hands. Anna will never see you the same. Don't do this."

In that moment, I realized that Jack was right. If I killed Hans, all Anna would ever see was a murderess. I couldn't let her see me that way, not after we started getting close again. A part of me argued that Anna would understand, but I knew she wouldn't. Anna wouldn't forgive me for committing murder, even the murder of the scum of the Earth. I didn't want to become what I was afraid of. Even though Hans deserved to die, I couldn't do it.

I moved the sword tip from Hans's neck to his check. I sliced across his left cheek, and dropped the sword.

"That was a warning." I glared and walked into the service tunnel. Jack followed suit quickly, and I made an ice barrier cutting us off from the ballroom. I tinted it so Hans couldn't see exactly where we were going. I'd defeated him, for now.

**A/N: I love love LOVE Hans's last choice of words. It's probably so chiche, but I just keep thinking of the Lion King and I love it so much! Anyway, what did you guys think? I know you've been waiting a long time. Did it meet your expectations? Tell me in a review! **

**List of things that kept me busy for two months: **

**- Excessive snow days that I actually had schoolwork on (THANKS MOODLE) **

**- My birthday (more like birth-month, but whatever) **

**- My friend being sick and me freaking out with her about it (like, she was in the hospital for extreme food poisoning. No more bacon pizza) **

**- Schoolwork**

**- Drama (friends) **

**- Drama (theater productions... It's tech week next week and I had to make my own freaking costume even though I have a costume person assigned to me. I'm not too sure what she does, exactly)**

**- Going to see the Frozen sing-along then being in a bad mood because of someone's attitude towards it. **

**- Writer's block in general **

**Thanks for dealing with me, and if you read that entire list... I'm proud of you for making it through that. **


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Things aren't working with my document manager... So, if things look weird or something, I'm sorry. Try to enjoy the chapter anyway!

Chapter 13

Jack and I walked in silence for a while. I only know realized the downside of me staying behind. I now had no idea where they were. Anna would definitely take them somewhere safe, maybe the stables. They could hide the children in the hay, and the women in the stalls with the horses. But I had no idea where the tunnel that led to the stable was. I could unknowingly walk right into Hans's army that was on the other side of the ballroom.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was freaking out about the fact that I almost killed Hans. I was never so angry in my life, not even when he captured me at the Ice Castle. I was scared then. What happened in the ballroom was unadulterated rage. If Jack hadn't been there to stop me, what would've I done? If I was in that state alone, would I make the decision to let the Devil Incarnate live? Probably not.

I turned around to face Jack, seeing the concern in his eyes.

"Thank you." I whispered. "For what you did back there."

"No problem." He responded. "Hopefully I never have to do it again."

"Don't worry, you won't." I reassured him, and went back to walking. It was too quiet. I had to be talking, to fill the space. If I didn't, all I could do was think. And I had quite an imagination, I knew that much. I didn't want to start thinking about the worst situation that could happen.

That's when I realized something about the tunnels. They were made of stone. Stone echoed whatever sound was in it, because there was nothing to stop it. Theoretically, we should be able to hear _one _person in these tunnels. Finding a whole group would be excessively easy.

So, why weren't we hearing them?

I felt panic start to rise into my throat. What if we couldn't hear them because they weren't in the tunnels anymore? What if they got out, and didn't leave any clues for Jack and I to find them? We could die down here!

"Elsa?" Jack said. I turned around to see that I'd frozen the tunnel walkway to ice for the past few steps and there was a small coating of frost over the ice.

"Okay, I'm calm." I told myself, reverting back to my old ways of controlling the curse I was born with.

"That's not what I taught you." Jack pointed out.

_Right. _I reminded myself. _Think of something happy, loving, anything_.

The first thing I could think of was my parents when I was child. Before I screwed everything up. They loved me so much. If only I was better. If only I hadn't hurt Anna, if only I hadn't caused so much stress in their lives.

I felt it start to snow around me, and I tried to think of my mother's smile. The genuine one she gave me, not the small sad one that I got as I went into my teens. I focused on that happy smile, and the snow stopped. I basked in the memory of that smile, and the ice melted around me melted.

"Better?" Jack asked when I opened my eyes.

"Better." I responded. "Let's go find Anna."

While we walked, and Jack seemed nervous, like there was something he wasn't telling me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, when I got no response.

"You said that you hit Anna as a kid, and it gave her a blonde streak, right?" Jack asked, his voice shaking a bit.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, fearing the worse. The scene in my room, where she said she was so scared. She said she had calmed herself down, though. She couldn't still be scared.

"We found Pitch by a window on the other side of the castle as your room. There was a girl inside it crying, and she had a blonde streak in her hair. I'm guessing that was Anna." Jack explained, and my stomach sank as I nodded. "Anna kept saying: 'They're dead.' What was she talking about?"

"The King and Queen of Corona. They're – were our aunt and uncle. Hans's army stormed that castle as well, and slaughtered them. This was while I was in the Ice Castle with you. They had the most defensives in any of the nearby kingdoms, but it was targeted at us. It was meant to terrorize us. It was her, helping Pitch get stronger?" I asked, in shock.

"You said that this happened around the time you and I – I mean, you, were in the Ice Castle?" Jack clarified, and I nodded. Maybe he thought I missed his "you and I", but I caught it. He looked flustered by his little slip. "He can't get that strong in three days. He must've been there for a long time before. Maybe even since Anna was little."

"Pitch was there for _that _long? But, but…" I trailed off, not able to get the words out of my mouth. I was going to say: _But I'm her older sister, I'm supposed to protect her_.

"There's nothing you could've done." Jack reassured me and put a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and surged forward.

"I could've done something! I could've told her about my powers! It didn't do anything to her last year, and it wouldn't have done anything to her when she was five! I could've not shut her out. I could've done a million things, and I didn't do ANYTHING!" I wasn't even so sure I was talking about protecting Anna anymore. I was talking about wanting a sister. "I'm the worst sister anyone could ever be saddled with."

I sank against a tunnel wall.

"You're not the _absolute_ worst." A new, soft voice said from somewhere close in the tunnels. "You're just talking to yourself."

Anna's voice.

"Anna?!" I called. "Where are you?"

"Not far." Anna answered, and I smiled. I stumbled blindly, until I collided with her.

"You're okay." I said, and smiled. I saw the horde of women and children behind my little sister, and I looked at her with eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "I told you to get them out, to safety."

"They're safer in these tunnels, with their queen." Anna said. "Like you said, you can defend them."

A little girl walked forward to greet me. Jenna.

"No one wanted to leave you with the bad man, Your Majesty." Jenna said, looking up into my face. "Who's _that_?"

Jenna pointed at Jack, and I looked at Anna in alarm. Obviously, she didn't see him, and none of the parents did either. Even some of the kids had blank looks on their faces. But most of the kids just waited for my answer.

"It's complicated." I said at Anna. I couldn't look mad – well, madder – in front of the subjects who were trusting me with their lives. I had to look strong, not like a scared little girl with an imaginary friend. I lowered myself to Jenna's eye-level.

"Can I tell you later?" I asked, and Jenna shook her head. "What if I promise to tell you once we get out of the tunnels?"

"But that's gonna be _forever_!" Jenna said, and I chuckled.

"The story is worth the wait, trust me." I said, and Jenna sighed.

"Okay, Your Majesty." Jenna surrendered and went back to her mother. I turned back to Anna.

"How did you get them to stay so quiet? Especially the kids?" I asked, and one kid piped up from the back of the line: "Princess Anna, can we get more chocolate?"

Normally, I would've laughed. But this was so much more ingenious because of the circumstances.

"You bribed them." I clarified, and she shrugged.

"If there's melting chocolate in their mouths, they aren't able to talk." Anna said. "While we were in the kitchen, I got the servants to come with us instead of just running away, too."

I looked at my sister in shock. Not only did she think of an amazing and creative way to keep kids quiet, she also managed to save what little staff we had left. Anna could think on her feet really well, just like our father. Did that ability skip over me or something?

"Well, I have no idea where we're going, Anna. Mind leading the way?" I asked, and Anna marched forward, with me at her heels.

A/N: I'm trying to fix it guys, I promise!Some stuff isn't working. Italics for thought and emphasis and bolded font... yeah, it's a bit of a problem. Anyway, did you like the chapter? It was a bit of a filler, but there's plot development next chapter, I promise. And see what I did with Jenna? You asked, I did. My updating might be a bit... crazy, because I'm going somewhere for the rest of the week, and then I have my play rehearsals ALL WEEK this week and next. I'll try to post the next chapter some time today. I promise.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thingy still broken. But I'm back! PLOT DEVELOPMENT!

Chapter 14

To many of the kids' dismay, we did not get any more chocolate, simply because we couldn't afford to leave the tunnels anymore. We've lost the castle, and we were only safe within the walls. It was only a temporary solution, but if we could wait out the soldiers, we'd be fine. That's what I told myself in the beginning, anyway. It was after about an hour that I got sort of suspicious.

Anna led us out a door that led into the dining room. It was further back in the castle, so I originally thought that they just hadn't gotten to it yet. I sighed in relief. Anna, however, went completely rigid.

"Something's wrong. They're here." She whispered to me,

"No one is here. We'd see them." I whispered back. "How can you even tell? You've been here three seconds."

She pointed to a spot on the wall and said: "There has always been a painting of you, me, Mom and Dad. It's gone now." She paused. "And the tablecloth is wrinkled. It's been used. Some of the chairs are out. I've spent a lot of my life running around the rooms. I know when a room is empty. And this one isn't."

None of the women and children behind us heard this because they were all talking amongst themselves, most likely about how good it was to be safe.

I tried to discretely look around the room for somewhere you could hide an army. But, let's be honest, there aren't many hiding places in a dining room. Where would they be, under the table? It just doesn't happen. I know for a fact that the only people who hide under tables are six-year-olds playing hide-and-seek. Where else? They couldn't exactly hide behind the decorative potted plants in the corners of the room.

The door to the kitchen swung open, and Han's men came charging through, backing us closer to the tunnel by pointing their swords towards us. Some brave women ran for the entry to the tunnel, dragging their children by the hand, only to be stopped dead by what seemed like another whole platoon rushing through the tunnel into the dining room. We were surrounded. I did the only thing I felt I could do, which was pull Anna behind me. I blocked her with my body.

Hans came out of the kitchen, that smug look on his face. Well, the part of his face that wasn't covered by gauze. Three quarters of his face was entirely paper-white.

"Seriously?" I said before I could stop myself. "I gave you a paper cut."

Hans took a deep breath, and I smirked.

"I don't think you're exactly in the position to speak, Queen Elsa." Hans pointed out, and it took all my self-control to block out the whimpering I heard from the children behind me.

"Well, I have no self-control and a mouth that doesn't stop." I retorted, knowing full well that I was taking a huge risk. If I wasn't careful, Hans could command them to take hostages, and I couldn't protect everyone.

"Elsa, _shut up_." I heard Jack hiss from the other side of the crowd. That's how quiet it was. I could hear him from across the crowd. I never broke eye contact with Hans, though, because that's all he would need. One slip in my focus, and he would kill all of us.

"Have you ever played chess?" Hans asked, obviously baiting me.

"Of course." I spit through gritted teeth.

"Good!" Hans said with mock cheeriness. "Then you know what you have to do to make a hundred times easier to win. What is it?"

I bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood in my mouth.

"Now, that's no fun. Aren't you going to answer?" He asked.

"You. Kill. The. Queen." I said, fists clenching at my sides. "But I'm not a chess piece!"

I let magic explode from my hands like gunpowder, firing it away from my subjects and sister. I can be pretty sure from the exclamations of shock that I'd definitely done some damage, but not enough to phase Hans. Magic was coursing through my veins like an elixir, making me move and react to everything faster. My magic was pinpoint accurate for a few shots. I decided to shoot at the guards blocking the tunnel, which was my first mistake. My back was to Hans for a full three seconds, and he took advantage of it.

Even in the state I was in, I didn't hear the guards sneak up behind me. The only reason I even registered that they were there was because they grabbed my arm and dragged me back from Anna. One guard had each of my arms, but that didn't matter. They were huge, let's just say that. I struggled, trying to get my arms loose and kicking my legs, to no avail. If I didn't get out of this, I knew Hans would kill me. It was just a matter of when.

I was dragged out of the circle, and the remaining guards filled the gap through which I had been dragged. For a split-second, I saw Anna's terrified eyes staring back at me before the gap was closed.

Next, the side of my head was slammed on a corner of the dining room table, or at least that's what it felt like. I got hit so hard my teeth rattled and I saw stars. I tried to raise my hand to head, only to have it restrained. I fell to the floor, supported only by the guards holding my arms. In my peripheral vision, I saw Hans walking over. When he was in front of me, he crouched down to be face-to-face with me.

"Sleep well, _Your Majesty_." Hans said, and I did the last act of defiance I possibly could.

I spit right in his face.

That took so much effort, that I almost completely blacked out. The last thing I heard was Jack screaming: "Elsa!".

Then, everything was gone.

A/N: More like: PLOT TWIST! But all of you probably guessed I was going to do that, anyway. Can you tell me if you did, because I don't want this story to be so predictable that it's boring for you guys... If I'm THAT obvious, sorry. But tell me what you thought, if you were expecting it. Do you think Hans is evil enough to kill Elsa? More like, do you think I AM?


	15. Chapter 15

**What?! THREE updates in one day! Enjoy it, because this may never happen again. So, yeah... I didn't kill her off, okay? That would be pretty bad. Anyway, next chapter!**

Chapter 15

I woke up in a daze. I felt the world rocking back and forth, but I assumed that was just because my head was spinning. I closed my eyes for a minute, to attempt to think. I blanked for a minute before remembering everything about what happened. Losing the castle to Hans's army, following Anna through service tunnels. Getting dragged away from Anna, and blacking out. Anna. I wonder if she was still alive. Knowing Hans, there's no way he spared anyone, unless Anna was very smart. And Anna was, as of recently, very smart.

I groaned, and I heard boots stamping away from me. Every footstep sounded like fireworks going off right next to my ear, especially with my head in the shape it is. I struggled to sit up, leaning against the nearest thing I could. It could've been a person for all I knew, but I didn't really care at this point. I had to wake up, and figure a way out of this.

My eyes opened, and I found myself in a dark room. Everything was still rocking, and the room was completely made of unfurnished, unpainted wood. It wasn't a big room, maybe 15 feet by 10. I looked around, and found an armed guard on the other side of the pole I was leaning on. He looked down at me with cold, unfeeling eyes. I almost shied away before I saw the split-second of pity that was in them as well. I tried to get away from the pole, but found myself pulled back by chains. Great. Perfecto.

The guard – most likely the source of the footsteps a few minutes ago – returned with Hans by his side. I managed my most intimidating glare, but since I was still groggy and chained to a pole, it didn't have much effect.

"How well did chains hold me the last time?" I croaked out, my throat parched and my voice squeaking. To my complete surprise, Hans slapped me across the cheek so hard it probably left an imprint.

"Make it stop!" He shouted and I stared up at him in shock. He _slapped _me. _Me, _who beat him when we last met. He had no right. I was a queen!

"Make what stop?" I managed to say, with considerable improvement.

"Don't play dumb with me." Hans said in a threatening tone, like he was ready to break at any second.

"I don't play dumb, and I'm a very bad actress." I said, trying to tug at my chains. "For example, do I look like cheery right now? No. I'm pretty sure I look like I'm going to freeze you into the next century!"

I guess that was enough for Hans to take as evidence that I had no idea what was going on. I'd been awake three seconds, for God's sake! How much could I know?

"If it's not you… then who is it?" Hans seemed more like he was talking to himself, and the guards exchanged worried glances. What the hell was going on? I couldn't exactly do anything while I was unconscious.

"Who is what?" I asked, trying to stand up. My chain was too short, so I just collapsed back to the floor. But I started to form a plan. Hans was obvious shaken up by whatever he was talking about, therefore not on guard. I just had to give myself time. I had to stall.

"Who else has your powers?" Hans asked, getting to close to me for my comfort. He looked desperate, and that made him less scary for some reason.

"I don't know." I said. "I'm the only one. Even if I wasn't, why would I tell you?"

Hans just ignored me, stood up, and started muttering to himself. Since he asked about my powers, I could only assume that it had something to do with a huge blizzard. Wait, was he trying to sail a ship in a blizzard? What if there were chunks of ice in the water? We were below deck, and if an ice chunk damaged the ship… let's just say that I wouldn't be walking out of this in the best shape.

I felt the familiar chill of magic running through my veins, and knew that Hans's time was up.

I started to freeze the chain as unnoticeably as I could, mostly relying on the fact that Hans's head was turned, and the guard looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the whole world. Regardless, no one was looking at the chain. When I decided it would be easy enough to yank my way out of this, I struck.

I broke the chain and immediately backed up from Hans and the guard, who were now on red-alert. I froze both of their feet to the floorboards, and simply walked out. The fact that there weren't any guards in the hallway gave me a bit of pause. If I was so dangerous, then why not have me as guarded as possible. The blizzard must be really bad if they could only spare two men.

I tiptoed up to the deck, trying not to draw anyone's attention. When I reached the deck, I sunk into about four inches of wet snow. The heavy snow that weighs down trees so much that it snaps the branches. I looked up at the sky, which just looked like a huge sheet of shale. It was snow so hard that it almost blurred my vision. I scanned the deck to the best of my ability, and decided that the best hiding spot would be in a rowboat that was tethered to the side of the ship. If things got too bad, I could untie the rowboat and find my way to land somehow. From there, I could get back to Arendelle.

Okay, not my best plan, but it was something.

As I got into the rowboat, a ray of hope shone through the clouds. I saw the outline of a person. A boy, holding a cane.

I weighed my options, and decided to do the thing that could either: a. get me out of this alive or b. get me killed by Hans's men faster than I could blink. I started to wave my arms back and forth and shouting.

"Jack?! I'm here!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, over the hurricane-force winds. "Come get me! I'm right here! Help!"

I heard one of Hans's men yell: "The Ice Queen! Get her!"

"Any minute now!" I screamed. My heart started beating loudly in my chest. I did the stupid thing. I should've just stayed quiet, and waited this out. I was so stupid! I turned around to see the men running towards me, swords raised. They were just too close, and I couldn't run anywhere. There was no point in using my powers, they knew how to deal with the ice and snow. Who knows how long they've been doing it since I black out. So, I did the next stupid thing that I hoped would get me out of this.

I muttered to myself as I jumped off the edge of the lifeboat. One of the men swung at me, but only cut off the bottom half of my hair. I could actually feel the tip of the sword against my back, but it didn't break any skin.

And I was falling.

I looked at the water and it finally registered with me that it was freezing cold. Even though the cold didn't bother me, I felt that frozen water might be pushing my luck just a bit too much. I'd have to find out the hard way I guess.

I hit the water, and started to freak out. I knew how to swim, but I was right about the freezing water pushing my luck. I was officially cold. My teeth started chattering, and I fought the waves to keep my head above water. I flicked off my shoes to make it easier to kick, and started shivering. I'd read about hypothermia, and it didn't look fun. I felt like I'd been floating forever before I regained control of my mouth.

"Jack!" I called, and finally saw him nose-diving towards the water. He pulled up in time to look at me.

"Jesus, Elsa!" He exclaimed and lifted me out of the water. "What the hell did you do?!"

"I… t-took a leap of f-faith." I stuttered out.

**A/N: Yep... cheesy ending, I know. I like it though. I have a general idea of where I want this story to go now, and the next chapter is complete romantic fluff, but you'll have to wait a while to get it. I'll be busy for a while, but I'll definitely update by next Friday. Don't expect anything for the rest of the week though... I'll be separated from my baby (my laptop). So, I'll see you the next time I update.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So guys, fluffy chapter! Sorry it's a bit late, but I'm going back to school tomorrow, so it might be a while. Like, a week or two. After that, the stress in my life is gone, but until then... I'm sorry. Be on the lookout though, and enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter 16

I couldn't bear to watch the rest of the ship sink.

I clenched my eyes shut, and turned away. No matter how hard I tried to think about anything else, all that crept into my mind was the families of the soldiers. The ones who would get the same notice that Anna and I got as children about our parents. The little children who were patiently waiting for their fathers to come home in one piece. The wives who lost their husbands, and the parents who had lost their sons. All because of me.

Because I was born with this curse.

People were _dead _because of my actions, and who I was. I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. I don't know if I can.

I started crying silently, trying to avoid Jack's detection. I was fine for about five minutes before I started to outright sob, and that was pretty counterproductive to being discreet.

"Hey, Snowflake, look at me." Jack said, and I lifted my red-rimmed eyes to meet his. There was nothing he could say that would make me feel better. But boy, did he try. "You're okay now." Jack said. "I don't know what they did to you, but that's all over now. Everything is going to be fine."

"No, it's not!" I exclaimed. "Nothing is ever going to be okay! A shipwreck _I _caused killed _all the soldiers _onboard!"

"I know, but it's not because of you." Jack tried to comfort me. "I'm the one that caused the storm. You had nothing to do with it."

"If I hadn't made Hans want revenge, then none of this would've happened! It _is_ my fault!" I yelled, putting my face inches from Jack's. He was just being so stupid and blind. Why?

I saw a snowflake float past my face, and I huffed out a frustrated breath. I saw the real problem, now. I just needed to learn to think while I was angry. Easier said than done. And honestly, I was having problems thinking of a memory that could combat murder. I gave up trying, and was suddenly exhausted. It didn't even matter that I'd been knocked out for multiple hours, since that wasn't voluntary sleep.

My limbs felt like lead, my head being the heaviest. All I could think was: _Thank my lucky stars I'm not wearing a crown_.

I collapsed into Jack's arms, not knowing what else to do. Obviously, he was not used to dealing with problems of this intensity. Jack took a few deep breaths, opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but the words never came.

"Okay, all of this was your fault." Jack said, playing along and trying to keep me happy. "Yes, you made Hans into the absolute power-hungry, revenge-twisted person he was. But you didn't _mean _for it to go that far. You didn't _mean _for people to die. That's all that matters."

"How can you just… forgive me?" I asked, studying his face. Murderers weren't ever forgiven, anywhere. They just became the shunned people that no one talked about or remembered. They weren't let off the hook.

"Because you aren't a murderess." Jack said. I smiled for the first time in what felt like a million years. After the argument Jack gave in my defense, I actually started to believe it myself. I wasn't a murderess. Hans was the murderer, who sent men to the front line for his selfish needs.

When we were flying, what was left of my braid whipped around and started to unravel itself. I tried to re-braid it without much success, because the hair was cut unevenly and it was just annoying. When the remnants of my braid dissipated, my hair was just flying around everywhere, including Jack's face.

To my surprise, he didn't really notice the fact that I had an unwanted haircut while my hair was still braided. But now that it was in his face, it was bothering him.

"What happened to your hair?" He finally asked after a couple minutes of him desperately trying to see where he was going through strands of my hair. It didn't help that the sun started to go down, and it was getting dark quickly.

"You know, swords." I said, trying to smooth it back and keep it there for once.

"I can't see. I'm going to fly into a try or something if we keep going for much longer." Jack announced, and I bit my lip nervously. I had a million things to do immediately. I had to get people to rebuild the gates, or make temporary ones at the very least. I had to get families reunited, and check on my own sister. I had to get back to Arendelle for all of that to happen, though.

"That's fine." I caved, trying to bite back my arguments. I wanted everyone to know I was alive, but I had to actually stay alive long enough to get back to Arendelle.

We landed in the middle of nowhere, in a forest. If I was more resourceful, I might've found some way to be able to tell if there was civilization nearby, but I wasn't. Also, I kind of liked being alone. It was just going to be my thoughts in my head, and Jack.

"Um… should I make a fire or something?" I offered, trying to remember what Anna had told me about camping. I might as well consider this a camping trip, since I was going to try to make something good out of this situation. I only then realized how stupid it would be to make a fire.

"I don't think we need a fire with ice powers." Jack said, and I mentally smacked myself in the forehead. Jack leaned on a tree, looking at me.

"What?" I asked. "If this is about my hair again–"

"No, no. Not that." He said. "You just don't look great."

"Well, it's been a long day." I said, and lay down in the grass. "I just want to forget today ever happened. Can you blame me?"

I looked up at the sky. It wasn't quite dark enough for there to be any stars, so I just stared into the dull orange sky. I just wanted it to get dark so I could star-gaze, and keep up my childhood pastime. It would help distract me from thinking about all the things that I needed to do, and everything that could be wrong.

I would need to rebuild my kingdom from the ground up.

_Don't think about that_. I scolded myself. _Think about the stars_.

"So, you're just gonna sit there for how long exactly?" Jack asked, breaking my train of thought.

"Until the stars come out." I clarified. "I'm _star_-gazing."

"I've never really done that before." Jack said. "Sounds a bit boring."

"Just because it requires sitting still for a total of more than an hour doesn't mean that it's bor–" I started, then shut my mouth and patted the ground next to me. "Just lay down and wait. It's not hard, and the stars will be out soon enough."

Jack followed my instruction, and within twenty minutes the first stars were out. I explained which constellations were which, and the stories behind them. I knew most of the mythology, because there was another book among my hundreds that had all of the Greek and Roman myths in it. Jack just looked confused when I pointed out Orion.

"But that doesn't look like a hunter at all." Jack argued and turned his head, as if changing the angle would help. "No, it just doesn't look like one. It looks like… like… What kind of blind Greeks made _that _a hunter?"

"Ones who obviously had more of an imagination than you do." I said. Normally, that would get some kind of response out of Jack, but there weren't any words that came out of his mouth. He looked really tensed up, like he was about to jump up at any second and run ten miles.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "I know this isn't your thing but you've looked bett–"

And then he leaned over and kissed me.

**A/N: *heavy breathing* I've waited so long to type this chapter! It gives me feels, and I can't handle it, and everything is great! I'll see you in two weeks! **


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